The astronauts aboard the International Space Station for 20 years have supported scientific discoveries in a way that cannot be conducted anywhere else.
The International Space Station's cutting-edge research in orbit promises to enhance life back on Earth. The International Space Station has supported numerous scientific publications, discoveries, unique opportunities, and several historic breakthroughs during the last two decades. These research studies will not just help explore further into space but will also benefit mankind on Earth. Below are some unexpected discoveries that will startle you.
The fifth state of matter
Scientists nearly 25 years ago discovered the fifth state of matter with properties very different from solids, gases, liquids, and plasmas - known as the Bose-Einstein condensate, on Earth. NASA's Cold Atom Lab in 2018 was the first facility to produce the fifth state of matter in space. This scientific breakthrough may provide insight into the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics.
Identification of unknown microbes in space
Identifying microbes in space without needing to send them for identification back to Earth is revolutionary not just in the world of microbiology but also in space exploration. In 2017, the Genes in Space-3 team successfully turned that into reality after completing the entire process of the first-ever sample-to-sequence outside Earth aboard the space station.
Collection of over 100 billion cosmic particles
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer – 02 (AMS-02) has been used to look for traces of dark matter since 2011, from the outside of the space station, gathering data on over 100 billion cosmic particles. AMS-02 has offered researchers around the world valuable data that can be used to determine the composition of the universe and its origin.
Monitoring Earth from a unique perspective
The International Space Station is considered a robust platform from where the Earth can be observed, offering greater opportunities for researchers and scientists to study the Earth’s air, water, land masses, and more. Observations of Earth made from the space station have supplied valuable data that revolutionized weather forecasting and tracking and offered insights into geophysical changes, land use, and atmospheric changes.
The evolution of fluid physics research
Our planet is covered in fluids, but sending samples to space can help researchers better understand their flow. The study of fluids conducted in space has progressed dramatically, starting from fundamental research into testing technological applications of heat transfer systems to advanced medical devices.
Is it not fascinating how the high-flying laboratory with sophisticated facilities has supported a wide range of scientific inquiry in human physiology, biology, material and physical sciences, space science, and Earth?
